Trouser press and stretcher



Jan. 8, 1929.

J. M. CRAIG ET AL.

TROUSER PRESS AND STRETCHER Filed July 23, 1926 IVl/[NTURE JfiMEsM.0199/52 PETE J 6:0 514/.

Patented Jan. 8, 1929.

JAMES MURRAY CRAIG AND PETER JOHN GEORG'I'U, OF REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN,CANADA.

TROUSER PRESS AND STBETGHER.

Application filed July 23,

This invention relates to improvements in trouser presses and stretchersand generally speaking the objects of the invention are to provide animproved combined trouser press and stretcher with which trousers may beefficiently stretched and pressed in the one operation.

Further objects are to provide a trouser prcsser and stretcher adaptedto be used in combination with a coat hanger, thus enabling thesuspension of the clothes and the pressing and stretching of thetrousers in one operation.

A further object still is to provide a device of this character thatwill be fold-able and thus take up very little room when in use or whenbeing transported. I

It is also our object to provide a device of this description that canbe manufactured at comparatively low cost and readily placed on themarket.

With these and other objects, hereinafter more fully referred to, inview, the invention comprises the combination with a longitudinallyfoldable, rigid frame, of a clamping member of suitable materialhingedly connected to said frame and means in the solid frame forretaining garments therein.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in each figure:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the trouser press in open position,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device in folded position, and

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the device in folded position with coathanger.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, in which a preferredexample of our device is illustrated constructed of any light, durablematerial and here shown as of wood, designates the rigid or main framemade in two sections 11 and 12 hingedly connected to one another at 13whereby the frame is adapted to be folded as illustrated in Figures 2and 3. On this frame, at each end, are clothes or trouser retainingcross pieces or slats of soft material, 14 and 15, adapted to be used incombination with clamping slats 16 and 17 to fixedly retain therebetweenclothes, such as trousers, as il lustrated in Figure 3.

These slats are of well known construction and are provided withpivotally mounted thumb-screws 18 adapted to engage with 1926. SerialNo. 124,4l9.

slots in the clamping slats in any well known manner. esigned to fitoverthe sections 11 and 12 of the frame 10 is a clamping or pressing membercomprising end cross bars 19 and 20 hingedly connected, as at 21, to thecross slats at each end of the rigid frame 10. These cross bars 19 and20 are connected to one another by straps of suitable material, 22 and23, and are slotted at their outer ends, as at 24, to engage wit). thethumb screws 18 and to clamp on the frame 10 the clothes to be pressed,etc.

Sofar we have dealt with the clamping or pressing of trousers or thelike which are, as illustrated in Figure 3, placed in the usual mannerbetween the end pieces or slats 16 and 17 on the rigid frame, thepressing memher being in the position as illustrated in Figure 1. Thismember, when the trousers have been adjusted between the end pieces, isclosed down and the thumb-screws 18 immediately tightened. Then tostretch the trousers simultaneously with the operation of pressing them,the device as a whole is folded at the hinged centre point 13 on theframe 10, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. In this position, whilemaintaining the pressing through the flexible press member, the clothesare also stretched, the act of folding the device automaticallystretching the garment therein.

In this combined stretching and pressing position the device issuspended in well known manner and, in order to complete the pressing ofa suit of clothes, means in the form of hooks 25 are provided on eachside of the rigid frame to detachably engage, when the frame is folded,with a coat hanger 26 of any well known construction whereby by the hook27 thereon the combined device is adapted to be suspended.

The advantages of our device, particularly adapted for simultaneouslystretching and pressing a pair of trousers, and generally adapted, incombination with a coat hanger, for stretching and pressing a pair oftrousers, will be appreciated. The foldable feature, whichsimultaneously reduces the size of the device for all practical purposesand automatically operates it as a stretcher, will also be apparent.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of our invention, within thescope of the claims, constructed without departing from the spirit orscope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the presentspecification and accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

IVhat we claim as our invention is:

1. The combination with a longitudinally foldable rigid frame of a framehingedly connected on one side to each end of the foldable frame andformed of flexible material adapted to register with and exert aclamping action on the foldable frame in folded position.

2. In a device of the character described a rigid retaining frame formedin two sections hingedly connected to one another whereby the frame isadapted to be folded on itself longitudinally, a frame of flexiblematerial with rigid end pieces hingedly connected to the aforesaid frameand adapted to register in closed position with said frame to clampmaterial thereon, clamping slats at each end of the first mentionedframe, a means for adjusting the slats, and means formed in the ends ofthe clamping frame adapted to engage with said slat adjusting meanswhereby a garment or the like is adapted to be pressed and stretchedsimultaneously between said frames.

3. In a device of the character described the combination with astretcher frame centrally hinged to fold on itself and having at eachend clamping slats, of a pressure exerting frame of tensionable materialwith rigid ends, hingedly connected through said ends to the rigid frameand adapted to swing sideways therefrom.

4. In a device of the character described the combination with astretcher frame centrally hinged to fold on itself and having at eachend clamping slats, of a pressure exerting frame of tensionablc materialwith rigid ends, hingedly connected through said ends to the rigid frameand adapted to swing sideways therefrom, and means formed in the rigidends adapted to engage with the clamping means on the stretcher frame.

5. In a device of the character described the combinationwith a frameand retaining means thereon of means centrally arranged in the frame forfolding and opening whereby material engaged by the retaining means isautomatically stetched on the frame being folded, a frame with solidends and a body portion of flexible material connecting said ends,hingedly connected to opposite ends of the foldable frame and adapted toswing thereover and to be automatically tensioned on the foldable frame.

In witness whereof We have hereunto set our hands.

JAMES MURRAY CRAIG. PETER JOHN GEORGIU.

